Dear Friends,

We are in challenging times as Americans in the Second District and nationwide face rising costs of living, threats to their healthcare, and blatant attacks against our democracy. This Saturday, "No Kings" protests will take place across the country including in Chicago, the suburbs, and downstate Illinois to counter President Donald Trump's military parade on his 79th birthday. If you choose to exercise your First Amendment right to peacefully assemble, remember to prepare accordingly with a fully-charged phone, hydrate, be alert to your surroundings, and let an emergency contact know where you are. Stay safe, everyone.

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla was Doing His Job

I was horrified, and frankly outraged, to see U.S. Senator Alex Padilla roughly manhandled, thrown to the ground, and handcuffed -- simply for doing his job. Senator Padilla from California asked a question at Secretary Kristi Noem's public press conference, seeking answers for his constituents on the Trump administration's immigration policies. He did not lunge at the Secretary. He identified himself as a sitting U.S. Senator. He was not a threat.

Alongside the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and my Democratic colleagues, I marched after votes from the House floor to Senate Majority Leader John Thune's office, then to Speaker Mike Johnson's office to demand an investigation and hold all those involved accountable. I cannot and will not normalize what happened to Senator Padilla. No one -- not a sitting Senator or any human being -- should be treated in such a manner for doing their job. The abuse of power by the Trump administration is an attack on all of us.

President Trump's $9.4 Billion Recissions Package

Yesterday, House Republicans passed President Trump's recissions package, which steals $9.4 billion that was already appropriated by Congress. It cut $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, including NPR and PBS programming like Sesame Street. With this recissions package, President Trump solidifies his dissolution of USAID and cuts $400 million from PEPFAR, one of the most successful global health programs to combat HIV and AIDS. Rescinding these funds will not solve our country's deficit problem, but rather destroy lives in the U.S. and abroad.

You can read my full statement against the recissions package here.

Cost-of-Living Crisis

On Monday, I led a roundtable discussion with Congresswomen Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), and Madeleine Dean (PA-04) in Pennsylvania to hear from local leaders and community members about President Trump's tariffs and Republican threats to Medicaid and SNAP.

Right now, Americans are paying the cost of tariffs at the check-out counter while Republicans in Congress attack food assistance and healthcare. This is a recipe for a cost-of-living disaster, yet Republicans' solution is to give more tax breaks to the well-off and well-connected. I will continue to hear directly from the American people and bring their concerns back to Washington with real solutions.

If you would like to share your thoughts with me, feel free to visit my website. You can also keep in touch through Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and BlueSky.

Sincerely,

Robin L. Kelly
Member of Congress